Improvement in potato-digger



, Mad sata, momie.

osMERW-- BALDwiN, oF-GREEN'FIELD, ori-11o', AsslGvNon 'ro HiM- iSELF-AND THOMAS WRIGHT, or SAME PLACE. i f

Lears Param No. 90,065, zaad May. 1s, 1869.

` ,"I-MPRov'nMENT 1N Forero-BIGGER The` Schedule referred to in theseLetters Patent and` making part'pilthe arne.

" To all whom ttmay concern :.1 n

` Be it known that I, OsMER W. BALDWIN, of Green- .ield, in the countyofHighland, .and State of Ohio,'\ y n have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Poi `tato-Digging Machines; and I do hereby declare .that

the following in is a` full, clear, and exactdescription vthereof,reference being had to the' accompanying drawings, and the letters ofreference marked therel p `This invention consists, in cert-ainimprovements f upon a potato-digging machine, forywhich' Letters i`Patent were issued to the undersigned and `Francis ELI Pope,bearingdate the 9th of April, 1867.

In .the accompanying drawings- 1 i Figure 1f is a side elevationotl `themachine, and

Figure 2 is a front View of the two rakes, the frame which supportsthem, and the double-crankshaft which operates them. i i i As `thesefigures show the improvements upon which my claims are based, I do `not`deem it necessary to `present more elaborate drawings, showing,indetail,

allthose parts of the machine which are constructed substantially inaccordance `with Asaid former patent n of April 9, 1867. i

My improvements relate` to the raking-mechanism for throwing tlecontents of thedigger back upon the.

Ts'eparatonor revolving' screen.`

f A ist-he. frame, .y

B, ,one of the two driving-wheels, and,` Y B', one of the twotruck-wheels, c supporting the front end of the mainframe, being pivotedthereto by I a king-bolt, which allows said truck-wheels to turn to therightorleft, independently 'of the fran'ie.

C is an ironshovel or digger, with its'upper surface concave, and lower,surface convex, and its front eud- Wronndedor bevelled to an obtusepoint. f

. Dis the separator, or screen, consisting ot' arrendless slatted apron,carried by two endless chains, re-

` volving on rollers, substantially described in said former patent. i

` `The machine is also provided with a`.shaker, to agitate theseparator, and cause the dirt to fall through, `substantially asdescribedA in `said former patent, but

`said shaker is not shown inthe drawings.

p ln short, said digger, separator, and shaker `are all constructed andoperated substantiallyas de,

i scribed-in said t'ormerpatent, exceptthat the separator is'carried byendless chainsinstead of belts. k

My improved raking-mechanism consists of twov i rakes,E E, operated bytwo cranks', f f, extending in opposite directions from a revolvingshaft, F, so that said rakes will alternatelysweep back over the digger"and throw the contents thereof upon the revolving apron, or separator.

Each rake has a slotted shaft, e, embracing its crankwrist," whichprevents the rakcs from revolvingin a truecircle, and causes lthem tosweep backover` the Y digger, inv close Contact therewith.l The digger,from, near its front end, clear back to the separator, has`a series ofopen slots, to .allow a portion of the v earth to fall through, as therakes` sweep` the contents back upon the separator, the potatoes, andwhatever loose earth may not have fallen through said slots, beingcarried back and thrown upon lthe revolving apron, or separator, and thepotatoes being finally delivered at the rear "end thereof, freed fromthc loose earth sc'opedup by the digger. y

Each rake 'has attachedv toits slotted shaft, and ex-Y tending Vin linotherewith, a plunger-rod, g, andthese' rods slide through trunnions h,supported on a frame, H,"and each has coiledround it a spiral spring, i,to

lforce the rake down as the crank-rises up, and' prevent its sticking orbecoming tight. Each .plunger-rod is also provided with a screw-nut, o,on its upper end, to adjust the' drop of the rakes, and'prevent themfrom dragging on the bottom of the digger,l and a buffer, 'oVbetweensaid nut o and the `trunnions, of vulcanized rubber or some othersuitable material, to lessenthe noise and jar.

Said adjusting-uut o, connection with it, to prevent itfrom workingloose.

.A The crank-shaft F is rotated by means of a large cog-wheel, K, on theaxle of the driving-wheels, gearing with a smallercog-wheel, L, whichgears with a pinion-wheel, F', on the end of lshaft F.

Said large wheel K also operates the-separator and shaken-iu the samemanner as described in said fori mer patent of April 9, 1867.

. The driving-wheels aremounted loosely ontheir axle, so as to turnthereon without operating the machinery when the'carriage is backed, butby means of a ratchetwheel, J, rigidly attached to each end of theaxle,'and a spring-pawl, j, the wheels and axle are caused to revolvetogether, when the carriage moves' forward.I

n YThe large cog-wheel K isfmonnted on' a short, loose sleeve upon theaxle, but is caused to revolve therewith by means of a clutch, exceptwhen the same. is thrown out 0- gear. This clutch is operated by alever-handle, in a convenient position to be seized by the `driver, sothat when it is desired .to stop the machineryfrom operat- 'mgbwhilc thecarriage is moving fforward, the driver boina also have a set-nut, in'

- the endless chains may be shaft @and extending back towards thedrivers seat,A the driver can .instantly raise the front end of thedigger when necessary.

The digger, separator, and shaker all turn together' upon ther samepivot-shaft, at the rear end, as described in the former patenthereinbefore referred to.

For the more effectual agitation of the separator', made to. run overtwo or more small tappets on the side-boards W; but I do not regardthese as essential to the operation of the. machine, and therefore havenot shown them inthe drawings. f

Two revolving wheels, of plate-metal, V, with sharp periphenes, areattached to the front end of' the dig-r ger, one on each side, to ontthe vines and grass upon the surface of the ground, and preventclogging.

These cutting-Wheels rotate only by force of their contact with theground as the machine moves.

Having thus fully described my improvements,

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. In combination withtbe .digger and revolving slatted apron, the tworakes, operated by the double- ?.rank shaft, substantially as and forthe purpose set orth. i

2. In combination with the slotted by a double-crank shaft, and H, asdescribed, tbc adjusting-nnts o, as and for the purpose described.

3. In combination with the slotted rakes, worked by tbe double-crankshaft, and the supporting-frame H, the spiral springs i, on theplunger-rods of the rakes, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

4. In combination with the slotted rakes, doublecrank shaft, andsnpporting-fxame H, tbe trunnions or oscillating braces h, substantiallyas described.

` 0. W. BALDWIN.

rakes," worked Witnesses: f

Jos. L. OooMBs, JOHN D. B ABGLAY.

supported by the frame

